Middlebury's Cassie Kearney opened competition at the 2021 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Thursday at the Irwin Belk Track Complex in Greensboro, North Carolina.
 
The junior ran in the preliminaries of the 1,500 meters and finished eighth in her heat with a time of 4:43.24. She placed 17th overall and did not qualify for Saturday's finals.
 
SUNY Geneseo's Emily Pomainville boasted the top time in the event with a new NCAA Championship record time of 4:13.69.
 
Kearney runs again on Friday, joining teammate Nicole Johnson in the preliminary heats of the 800 meters. That race is set for 4:00 p.m.